Day in the life of a corporate/charter/fractional pilot

PropDriver

PropDriver

Well-Known Member
I'm an airline guy and curious what a day in the life is like on the other side of the airport. Do you usually fly one leg, sit in the FBO all day, and fly back? Multiple legs every day? Overnights? Are schedules different on different aircraft types? I'm completely clueless when it comes to what you guys do.
 
When I was doing charter work... it was all over the place, but mostly it was one-four legs out and back, sit in a hotel, then do the same again. Lots of time sitting around the FBO waiting for the clients or sitting around on standby waiting to launch. (the clients were always the pull up to the plane, get screened, then off the ground types - which meant we were waiting for them) But, like the airlines, you never knew what you were going to get. Sometimes I was one leg out, sit for three days. Then it was bounce all over creation for 16 hours of duty, reduced rest, and then do it again.

Mostly, the biggest difference was that you were responsible for everything... there wasn't a gate agent to call or an ops frequency. Problems came up and you handled them - or they didn't get solved.
 
ClearedForOption said:
When I was doing charter work... it was all over the place, but mostly it was one-four legs out and back, sit in a hotel, then do the same again. Lots of time sitting around the FBO waiting for the clients or sitting around on standby waiting to launch. (the clients were always the pull up to the plane, get screened, then off the ground types - which meant we were waiting for them) But, like the airlines, you never knew what you were going to get. Sometimes I was one leg out, sit for three days. Then it was bounce all over creation for 16 hours of duty, reduced rest, and then do it again.

Mostly, the biggest difference was that you were responsible for everything... there wasn't a gate agent to call or an ops frequency. Problems came up and you handled them - or they didn't get solved.
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Are you in corporate or charter?

I know one corporate department where the typical day is show up at 4:30-5am, depart at 6am, and return around 5-6pm after sitting in the FBO all day waiting for the execs. The days would be 12+ hours long for 2 hours of block. Does that sound typical?
 
PropDriver said:
I'm an airline guy and curious what a day in the life is like on the other side of the airport. Do you usually fly one leg, sit in the FBO all day, and fly back? Multiple legs every day? Overnights? Are schedules different on different aircraft types? I'm completely clueless when it comes to what you guys do.
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All of the above!
 
PropDriver said:
Are you in corporate or charter?
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I'm an 'airline guy' right now... but this was for a 121(k) - 'On Demand Charter' company that flew Auto Parts (24 Hr. reserve shifts with a 30 min. callout) and high profile V-VIP charters. (That's 'Double-VIP' - VIP's to the VIP's... Where technically I had a couple hour call out, but I never was called 'last minute' for any flights on the Mad Dog)

Really, there was nothing that could be called a typical day. Everything was 'subject to the needs of her majesty's secret service.' And, other than the auto freight, which really was last minute, people didn't typically charter a DC-9 or MD-80 'last minute' - unless it was a rescue flight.
 
I have been a Corporate guy for 6 months now. We have never had to sit at an FBO. The only time I am there is when we show a few hours early for a departure and for an hour or so after we land. However, with that being said, I have also never done a trip that didn't involve an overnight. I suppose if we did a day trip somewhere we would end up "appreciating" the FBO. I guess one of the perks flying the Falcon is that we don't typically do short hops or day trips.

Off to CHS for the next 4 days!
 
Corporate and 135 can be great or a living hell. Really depends on how lucky you are to find a good gig. I know a guy that flies a GV (G650 soon) and I believe a private 767 around the world and finds himself home very often and getting payed well. He flew at SWA and US.Air and never wants to go back to the airline life. I have also talked to some Part 135 guys that have been job hopping all their career going from one operator to another. From what I can tell. Corporate and Part 135 (non-cargo) gigs are very hit and miss.
 
There is no "normal" even for a given type. I fly a GIV for a few different companies and all are very different. It all depends on where the people in the back need to go. I have a friend that flies a GIV and it never leaves the united states while I almost always leave the US for trips. The biggest difference between airlines and corporate/charter aviation I would think would be the amount of other duties the pilots can have, this also varies company to company.
 
I've been flying corporate (91) for about 8 years after flying about 10 at the airlines. The jobs are really apples and oranges. I have flown the trips you talk about where we end up doing one leg out, sit all day at the FBO and then one leg back and be home by dinner. (In fact, when I got hired that's pretty much all this job was -- Monday through Friday, 6am to 6pm). I've also flown 6 legs per day. The trip I'm on right now is a 5 day trip during which we will block a little less than 6 hours. Being a corporate pilot is a job for people who don't value their time.

We have a schedule of days off and 99% of the time it is honored. But when we get busy the schedule is suspended and then it's "all hands on deck" to get through the peak. They won't cancel flights due to lack of crews. If you DO end up sitting at the FBO all day it can be good or bad. Most FBOs are much nicer than airline crew-rooms, or sitting in the terminal during your airport appreciation break. On the other hand, some are double wides with no air conditioning. I've even flown to airports where there are only a picnic table and a phone booth and I had to ride to town in the bed of a truck to find lunch. I've been to airports in Mexico and Central America where the airplane is parked on the airline ramp and you can either sit in the terminal all day or in the commandant's office while some 16 year-old with a submachine gun and a uniform stares at you from the other side of the room. Still, only one or two FBOs in the US have TSA, so that's a benefit right there!

You're on your own for everything from flight planning to weather to performance and weight and balance, to catering, to cleaning, crew hotels and cars etc. If we fly international we get a little help from handlers, but much of the work is still ours. When we get home we are responsible for submitting expense reports which can take time during periods of heavy travel. On the other hand, when it's slow it is frighteningly slow. So a lot of us take on additional responsibilities in the flight department such as standards, training, flight followers. It's a big community and everyone has to pull their own weight. Each year you are evaluated by your chief pilot on everything from flying, expense control, other contributions and your payraise is predicated on those factors. Personality plays a part too. If you don't get along with your CP things can be bad. Expense controls are very tight and that means finding hotels that are safe, clean, comfortable AND within budget can be a challenge.

The airplanes are typically well maintained -- rare to carry even a single deferral. The latest technology is implemented as soon as it fits into the budget. Training is given a very high priority. Everyone is type-rated in the airplane and attends recurrent twice per year. We operate as co-Captains. The computer assigns PIC the night before a trip departs so it wouldn't be unusual to have an employee who has been here 3 years be Captain on a trip with an SIC who has been here 20 years. Seniority is meaningless in these operations.Standardization is extraordinarily important. The era of the "cowboy corporate pilot" has come to a close with ISBAO certification, SMS requirements, etc. Our department runs like a small airline with regard to flight deck discipline. Safety comes first and nobody questions decisions that are made in the name of safety.

There are perks above and beyond compensation that would be unthinkable at the airlines -- some financial, some not. Those are hard to quantify though and impossible to compare to airline benefits. Our flight department is like a big family so when one person is hurt or out on medical the group bands together to support them financially and otherwise.

I could go on for days regarding the differences. It really is an entirely different job except for the fact that we both fly airplanes. Airline flying is a good job for a lazy person who just wants to go to work, fly the plane, and go home. Corporate flying is for people who want to be more engaged in every facet of the operations from planning and execution to customer service etc.

Remember this before you make the call. There is no furlough / recall in corporate. If you are laid off... you are gone. And it won't necessarily happen in reverse seniority. There is no recall. Some pilots are fortunate to get on with corporate flight departments that they could stay at for their entire lives. Others get on with wonderful departments that are suddenly disbanded when execs use them to go before congress and ask for money. It isn't unusual to see corporate pilots in their 50s or older looking for work. That scares me to death. As such the incidence of "golden handcuffs" in corporate is much, much higher than I ever saw at the airlines.

Like anything else there are pluses and minuses. I think the axiom fits for being a pilot in every part of aviation. It's a great job... it's a lousy career. lol

There are pluses and minuses to it.
 
I fly for a small flight department. Been here 3 years. We typically fly 1 to 3 days a week. Spend about 2 days a month in a hotel room. Our company uses the plan 85% for business and 15% personal. In the business part, they generally want to be back home for dinner with their families. One the personal part, it is generally vacations in which they give us the option to stay or go back home (we generally stay) which ever is cheaper.
The biggest difference to me is that "the flight" is much more of a big deal than in 121. We may spend a few hours getting everything lined up for the flight (hotel, rent cars, fuel, airplane ready, checking out FBO's) We baby our plane, so if you don’t like washing, vacuuming, scrubbing bugs, CLEANING THE POTTY, keeping drinks, snacks, coffee, chips and the kitchen sink stocked. . then this is not the place for you.
However, I see it as "my airplane" and I treat it like my airplane. So I don’t mind cleaning it and keeping it looking showroom ready. It is great when you pull into some FBO and everyone is admiring your airplane. . . trust me, the bosses hear this and take note!!

Because I fly with one other pilot, you had better learn to get along with people and be easy going!! it is like a marriage, and some days you are not going to even want to see each other, and some days you are going to have a blast with each other. The thing is you cant take things personal, and you MUST MUST MUST be easy going.

As far as hanging around FBO's all day. . it is not bad at all. 98% have pretty good internet so bring your Ipad, watch some netflex and hang out on JC and GET PAID FOR IT!!!! Then take a free car into town, and pick a cool place to have an hour or two hour lunch on the companies dime! And the cars vary from old cop cars, to BMW's (thank you million air). And yes, even the back of a pickup truck! (that just makes for a funny story later though . .cause the next day you'll be in some $60,000 crew car!)

I actually LOVE the corporate job because not one flight is the same. One day we are in ATL, it is fast, crazy and we are the smallest plane there by at least 35,000 LBS! The next day we are in NM in some BFE airport and the town is coming out to see why "an airliner" is parked at the airport (true story. but Arkansas)!

I love the fact that we as a crew get to make 100% of the decisions on our flights! we actually get to (gasp) make true PIC choices . . . LOVE IT!

The one item that is sorta crappy is that we have a LOT of time off with NOTHING to do with it. We happen to be on a 3 hour call out during business hours. most of the time we never get called, but there have been times when it is time to drop whatever you are doing and go. So making arrangements with people is ALWAYS stated with "I cant guarantee anything, but I will "plan" on meeting you. . ."however, one must remember that this is why they are paying me. . .to be on call.

My QOL is amazing. . . there are some weeks that we don’t fly . .and we don’t do anything else! So i get paid to, yep. .do nothing! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
 
Thanks for your replies guys. This has been very informative. It's amazing how every company is different. Keep the stories coming...
 
I have never worked for an airline but also never worked where days off weren't honored or had to clean an airplane, I usually help the FA a little bit if I finish the paper work before she is done. I also like to pick my own hotel which is great when you have a week stay on Ibiza. I know some guys that hate doing it, In this day and internet age it usually takes 5 mins to arrange hotels even in the darkest corners of the world or we can call ops and tell them set up a specific hotel. When I flew freight in a Falcon20 we'd hang around the FBO occasionally and they varied quite a bit but it was absolutely better than the 2 crew rooms i've been inside at separate airline terminals. Usually free gourmet coffee and fresh baked cookies. But I haven't "hung out" at an FBO in years. Sometimes I kind of miss just wandering aimlessly around a new town in the crew car. There are no recall rights but when you get laid off and go to work for another company you don't start at "first year" pay. Your experience(pay rate) transfers. There are countless places I would never had gone and experiences I wouldn't have had if I went the airline route. I believe QOL is basically what you make of it. Usually there aren't many surprises when going to work somewhere, assuming you ask questions before accepting a job. Long story short, don't be upset when you get a pop up trip because you are on-call. One of my favorite perks is all the points that you get to keep from air lining, hotels, fuel programs etc..
 
Queboat said:
There is no "normal" even for a given type. I fly a GIV for a few different companies and all are very different. It all depends on where the people in the back need to go. I have a friend that flies a GIV and it never leaves the united states while I almost always leave the US for trips. The biggest difference between airlines and corporate/charter aviation I would think would be the amount of other duties the pilots can have, this also varies company to company.
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I'm very interested to hear more about the international bizjet pilot lifestyle because that's one of the career paths I'm considering. Could you give an example of what a typical international G-IV flight entails? Do you usually carry a 3rd pilot (and if you do, where does the FA sit?). Does the plane feel cramped after a 5+ hour flight? Do you usually get time off at your destination to get around/have fun? How much work do you outsource to your international flight handlers (Jepessen, Colt, Universal,)? Etc, etc... The more detailed you can be about what the job is like, the better! And finally, I know that like anything else, your job has pluses and minuses, but overall, would you recommend it?

And BTW, how exactly is it possible to be employed by 'a few different companies' at the same time?

Thanks Queboat (or anybody else)!
 
DeuceOfAces said:
I'm very interested to hear more about the international bizjet pilot lifestyle because that's one of the career paths I'm considering. Could you give an example of what a typical international G-IV flight entails? Do you usually carry a 3rd pilot (and if you do, where does the FA sit?). Does the plane feel cramped after a 5+ hour flight? Do you usually get time off at your destination to get around/have fun? How much work do you outsource to your international flight handlers (Jepessen, Colt, Universal,)? Etc, etc... Thanks Queboat (or anybody else)!
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A typical G-IV flight for us was... atypical. Three pilots only when necessary for 135 requirements (FA, would occupy a passenger seat). In the G-IV, technical stops were common if going into the Middle East and returning to the East Coast of the US from most European countries. I found this challenging/fatiguing, as you're generally setting down in a foreign country and refueling in thirty or so minutes. Not dangerous, but definitely an additional risk factor that made me jealous of the Globals/G-Vs!

Plane definitely starts to feel cramped - the cockpit of the IV was an afterthought compared to the extra room in the larger Gulfstreams. The RJ's cockpit was much more comfortable. I compare oceanic crossings to sitting in a sauna for as long as you can: it's an exercise in fatigue management.

Time off at the destination - yes. I've spent weeks in Ireland/UK/France.

Handling - depends. London? We'll do it. Middle East? Handler.

Overall, it's an adventure. That being said, such flying doesn't generally (there are exceptions) offer the same protections as international airline flying. I've been gone for 26 days in a row when I originally thought I'd be out for 7. I've landed at airports where they ran out of parking and have to fly within a foreign country to secure the airplane... after seven hours aloft.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
I've been flying corporate (91) for about 8 years after flying about 10 at the airlines. The jobs are really apples and oranges. I have flown the trips you talk about where we end up doing one leg out, sit all day at the FBO and then one leg back and be home by dinner. (In fact, when I got hired that's pretty much all this job was -- Monday through Friday, 6am to 6pm). I've also flown 6 legs per day. The trip I'm on right now is a 5 day trip during which we will block a little less than 6 hours. Being a corporate pilot is a job for people who don't value their time.
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That last line is interesting. I'm curious why you would view it that way? I've found the complete opposite at my current 91 job. When I was at xjt they had no problem using and abusing you. Extending your trip, rolling days off etc. By comparison, where I fly now time off is not a problem. While I don't have hard days a month off, I have vacation time I can use any time of the year with little notice. I don't have to bid for it and hope like at xjt. I got married a month before I got furloughed at xjt. The chief pilot told me they would "try" to get me time off for my honeymoon. I've also averaged 9.5 days of work per month for the last two years. Yes I have missed some things, but not near as much as I did busting my ass at xjt for almost two thirds less money, flying 3x as many hours. Like you said though, EVERY corp gig is different.

The company I work for has had an airplane of some kind since the late fifties, early sixties and has been around almost a hundred years. I guess I might have the golden handcuffs firmly in place. They're only handcuffs though if you plan on going any where. If I have to look for work in my fifties so be it. At least I'll be able to get paid for my experience, rather then starting over at the bottom of another seniority list. I have already lasted longer here then my first airline gig. I feel the stability of an airline vs. the stability of a good 91 gig are roughly the same these days. Ask all the FO's at American about how secure the last decade or so has been. I'll be the first to admit. I got really lucky at the place I'm at now. I believe we can make our own luck, or at least be prepared to take advantage of it.

After I typed all that up, I may have figured out the reason for your statement about time value. The place you work now probably more closely resembles an airline without the seniority list than a true 91 job. You've talked about going back to the airlines in the past, but are wearing the golden handcuffs. I would suggest you consider making a lateral move in the corp world and find a true gem of a 91 gig some where you want to be.

Either way, fly safe and keep an keeping on. :)
 
No such way to describe a typical flight. Some times you fly from Sydney-Bishkek, other times you do Teterboro-Palm beach. If we have a 3rd pilot they will either sit in the jumpseat or in the back and the FA can sit upfront or in the back if she likes. The international work load on planning changes company to company. The way I am able to work for a few different companies is by doing contract work(side work from my full time job) this is fairly common in corporate aviation. Some guys are exclusively contract pilots. If the plane feels cramped for me really depends on the day. Sometimes I'm anxious to land after 3 but still have another 5.5 to go. Other flights, time just goes by quickly. How much time you spend in a given location depends on the passengers. If I had to say usually we are in a location at least 2-3 days. For me corporate aviation was my goal from the beginning so my career path feels fulfilled. It isn't for everyone. Long trips just drag if the rest of the crew isn't my cup of tea, while even longer trips aren't that bad if we all get along well. One negative I have found with corporate aviation is that there are a lot of egos involved. Sometimes employees have bigger egos then the passengers.
 
PositionAndHold said:
That last line is interesting. I'm curious why you would view it that way?
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I guess I should have explained what I meant. When I am sitting in an FBO all day, or sitting in a hotel for multple days, I am useless. Useless to my family. Useless to the company. I am simply occupying space until I am called upon to do something else. That's why I think that quote, "...a profession for people who don't value their time" is appropriate. We only have so many minutes on planet earth and it bothers me that I waste a lot of them being unproductive.

In my previous life as a 121 pilot, I bid efficient schedules. If I was going to work I wanted to work, not sit around. So I'd fly my 3-5 legs a day and then go to the hotel, sleep, get up and do it again. I would maximize my time at work so that I could maximize my time at home. Very little "wasted" time if that makes any sense.
 
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